Folding gaff-hook.



ED AUG. 4, 1908.

@MEM

JQM. THoMsoN FGLDING GAF? HOOK .n APPLICATION FILED HOV. 18, 1907.. "O

orbnl T prm( l.: nl nllll lll Il UNITED STATES FOLDING Grier-HOOK.

JAMES M. THOMSON, OF SAN FRANCISCO,CALIFORNIA.

Speci'cation of Letters Patent. l

PATENT cierro-E.

Patented Aug. 4, 1908.

Y Application led November 18, 1907.v Serial No. 402.671.,

To all whom it may concern-.'-

Be it known that I, Jani-is .\I. THOMSON, a-

citizen of the United States, and a residentof the city and coiintv of San Francisco and State of California, have invented an Imroved Folding Graff-Hook, of which the folowing is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide an improved gat-hook having several novel features of construction and several advantages in its operation that adapt it more particularly for the use of anglers and sportsmen.

vThe improvements embraced in and coinprising my said invention consist in a stafl` composed of jointed and folding sections or members having means for locking or fixing the sections rigidlyat the joint, such means being automatic or self-operating et the nioment that thestafis unfolded and the sections are brought in line.

The improvements consist further in a movable guard for the point of the hook, so' arranged on the end of the handle-portion of the static that when .he sections are folded together the point of the hook which is mounted on one end of the stati will be brought over and in line with the guard, and t-he latter will be retained in position covering and protecting the oint of the hook; or a short movement of t e guard on the butt end of the stall` willrelease the hook and allow the sections of the staff to separate and corne into line.

The nature of the said improvements and the manner in which I proceed to apply and carry out the same in the production of my folding gait-hook, are explained at length in the following description, wherein the aecompanying drawing forming part of this specifi cation is referred to by figures and letters.

Figure 1 of the drawings illustrates my -improved gall-hook folded for carrying.

Fig. 2 is a view representing the position of the parts after the guard has been'drawn down against its retaining-spring, releasing the hook from the guard and allor-:ing the sections to open out in a straight line. Fig. 3 represents the griff-hook ready Afor use. Figs. 4 and 5 are longitudinal sectional views, on an enlarged scale, of the self-locking means at thel joint, and the guard on the butt end of the staff.

A nov c Lure in the folding-grail of iny invent: l tonsists in a self-acting coupling so r ...iged and operated that when drawn away from over the joint by hand, it will be held out of active position as long as the sec.- tions of the staff remain folded, but at the i moment that the sections are opened out and brought in line, the coupling will automaticself-acting locking-me ans, which I have illustra-ted in the drawings, comprises a slidable sleeve or feriulefsuflicient in length to cover the joint d that unites the sections (L b of smoothly and yet fit closely upon thesta'- sections. A cross-pin 2 passing through 'a slot 3 inthe staff-section a limits the movement of is inclosed within the staff-section. The inenibers'a-b are formed of metal tubing for the purpose of combining the desired lightness with the necessary strength and stiffness. 'lhe guard on the butt end of the staf'f'is best formed of a ferrule g loose-lv Vfitted on the staff-section, so as to slide rear stop-pin 6 that passes through and is fitted to slide in a slot 7 in the staff-section. feirule carries on the end a boss or head 8 in whic i is a hole or recess 9 of roper size to admit the point of the hook e, wlien the latter the staff over, against or upon the guardbearing section a., as illustrated in Fig. l. In that position the guard covering the point of the hook e is held by a coiled-spring located within tlie hollow stall-section, and so arranged as to press the guard towards the end of the tube and maintain it normally in that relation; but a sufficient length of sliding movement on the tube is afforded for drawing back the guard until the point of the hook is uncovered and freed from the guard.

seen that the same spring h can be readily ing-sleeve, simply by employing a spring of sufficient length and power to act on the. guard g at one end of the staff, and on the spring being arranged for that purpose to bear against tlu` cross-pin 6 at the guard, and the cross-piii 2 of the lockiiig-ferrule.

The folding-gall of inv invention as thus ily on it, and limited in its movement by a is brought in position in line with such a er-l ture by folding the hook-bearing section of By referring to Figs. 3, 4 and 5, it will be,`

ally move into position and lock the joint.` The preferred forni or construction of this the staff, and of proper diameter to slide 7o the sleeve f, and also furnishes a bearing' point for one end of a coiled-spring z which utilized both for the guard g and for the loeklocking-ferrulefat the joint: the ends of the constructed, has the. advantage of being y' rendilj.' unfolded and set up for use in nn instant with one. hund, leaving thefmgler free to handle the shing-rod with the other hnnd.

To open the staff and set np the goti-hook for use, from its folded state as represented in Fig. 1, the angler will place the joint-bearing end against his knee, or some other convenient stationary object, and pressngg down the guard on the butt end with the` seme hand in which he rrnsps the staffsection,`he will release the point of the hook from the guard, and thereby free the hook-bearing section from the handle-see.- tion. At the moment of its release frornthe guard, the hook-bearing section will drop away from the sectionv in the grasp of the cnglers hand, until the. sections assume n. straight line, whereu on the slide will slip over the joint und loc i the same by virtue of the spring acting against the slide in the )roper direction. The staff-sections are thus locked rigidly and in line one with the other nt the instant that one. cornes in line with the other, Without my attention or movement on the part of the operator, thus providing an automatic locking means of great convenience.

Having thus described my infention, what Iclaixn is:--

1.- A griff-hook comprising e. folding-staff having two sections united by a hinge-joint, n locking-means at the 'oint opemtii e' to hold the sections rigidly when opened an( set in line, a. hook on the end of one section and a guard on the end of the other section movable thereon, andadcptwne position to retain the steli-sections in a folded stato and in another position to release t-he hook-bear- 40 lng section. y

2. A griff-hook comprising| o. folding staff having n hook-bearing section and e. handlebeering section united by e binge-joint, a

' locking-ineens nt the joint comprising n. slid- 45 able member ednpted in onev )osition to extend over the hinge-joint and thereby hold the members in line, a spring acting to norrnaliy hold such slidnble member in locking position, e. hook on the end of one staff sec-.50 tion, und :i slidnble guard on the end of Athe handle-section adopted to engage the point of the hook when the scid sections are. placed in the folded relation. i

3. The combination with the steif-sections united by n hinge-joint, of n slidnblemember adopted to nornni-ll) set over the hinge-joint on opposite .sides of its Pintle, and thereby hold the .stell-sections rigidly in line, e. spring operating to retain the said slideble member insueh locking-position, a. hook on the end of one section, and a. slidcbleguard on the other section adapted to engage tle seid hook und thereby retmn the sections in folded reliition.`

JAMES M. 'Tnonsobi.L

Witnesses: 4' 5 OsnoRN, i. i i. ARTHUR L. SLEE, 

